Until recently, neuroscientists generally believed that intelligence was primarily a heritable trait and that intellectual potential is therefore mostly predetermined. In this regard, the brain was thought of as a relatively static entity that utilizes a pre-defined, unalterable set of instructions to foster its own development and engage in the process of learning. While parallels were frequently drawn between the type of environment in which an individual was reared and the personal achievements enjoyed by that individual over the course of a lifetime, medical researchers lacked the ability to chart or tap the inner workings of the brain that were responsible for these observations.
Scientific and medical advances, however, have pushed the frontiers of neuroscience beyond inveterate notions of human potential and have lead to an acknowledgment that much of the brain and its intellectual capacity develops after birth. Research using a variety of imaging technologies has demonstrated that the brain is a dynamic, highly adaptive organ in which microstructures develop, at least in part, in response to external stimuli. The imaging techniques that have permitted scientists to view the living brain in action include technologies such as positron-emission tomography (PET) (which measures blood flow in the brain and can identify activity levels in particular regions of the brain), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (which shows the particular structures of the brain), and electroencephalograms (EEG) (which show the flow of electrical energy through the brain). For more information about the brain and its intellectual and emotional development, see R. Kotulak, Inside The Brain: Revolutionary Discoveries of How The Mind Works (McMeel Publishing, 1997); R. Shore, Rethinking The Brain: New Insights into Early Development (Families and Work Institute, 1997); and C. Ramey and S. Ramey, Right From Birth: Building Your Child's Foundation For Life (Goddard Press, 1999); each of which is hereby incorporated by reference for general information on the brain and its development.
Early childhood (i.e., birth to about age six) is generally regarded as the period in which caregivers can have the most significant influence on brain development and, consequently, a child's later ability to think and acquire knowledge. As the child learns about his world, those “lessons” actually form, or shape, the brain and the manner in which the brain processes information. It is during this early period that the connections (synapses) that form between nerve cells (neurons) develop at a rate which surpasses that at any other time in life. Indeed, far more synapses are formed during this period than will eventually be needed. The brain of a typical two-year old, for example, has twice the number of synapses of an adult. Once these synapses are formed, those that are not needed or are not reinforced by repetitive use are believed to be selectively destroyed through a process that is referred to as “neural pruning”.
Neural pruning is a natural and healthy aspect of the maturing brain that promotes the development of more efficient synaptic circuitry later in life. However, this process can also negatively impact a child's learning potential, if the child is raised in a sub-optimal environment. For example, when a child is raised in a deprived or neglectful environment, neural pruning can impede the formation of what otherwise would be important brain circuits, because synapses that may be useful for later learning are pruned away due to lack of use. Similarly, when a child is raised in a highly stressful environment, neural pruning can reinforce brain circuits that are constantly on high alert, because synapses that otherwise would be pruned away are maintained due to repetitive use. In the latter case, the (mal)adaptive “high alert” circuitry can result in outward behaviors like impulsiveness, aggressiveness, and difficulty in focusing attention, all of which render future learning in a regular classroom setting much more difficult.
Clearly, the knowledge gained by neuroscientific research in recent years offers caregivers a unique opportunity to improve the intellectual and emotional well-being of a child in their care and thereby provide the child with a solid foundation for future learning. Accordingly, there is a need for pragmatic systems and methods that enable caregivers to implement current knowledge of early childhood brain development and that facilitate meaningful interaction between a caregiver and a child in their care. There is also a need for systems and methods that enable caregivers to provide a child with a stimulating environment that includes purposeful activities in a playful, interactive context.